Love This Moment
by CagedHeart
Summary: They were under the stars after a mission gone wrong. They were joined in the oldest way possible in that moment.


**A/N: The sequel to 'Live The Moment'. This one has a dedication. To **_**L'Homme Poubelle**_**: my muse, my motivation, and my kick in the ass. And I mean that in the most affectionate manner possible. You really wanted a sequel so I hope that this lives up to your expectations. If you, readers, haven't read the other story it's okay, this can stand on its own. You can read this one and still get what's going on. **

**As the disclaimer is standard; enjoy. **

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She had been in better situations. However right now she couldn't really think of any worse situations and that was a bad thing. It showed just how much shit she was really in. The air hissed as a kunai slid through the flesh on her arm. It burnt and the warm blood slid down her arm like snakes. She raised her own kunai and turned on her heel, needing only a second to see her victim. She got a glance, but it was all she needed to calculate where he would land and send her kunai through his heart.

Tenten heard the impact the knife made with dull thump. It gave her no satisfaction but it needed to be done. She jumped from the bush she had been in to one of the trees in the thick forest. Once on the branch she saw three other targets that were her enemy and even though she didn't have the byakugan she could tell by their movements that they possessed skill. She frowned.

"Easy B rank my ass," Tenten said as she kept to the shadows. It was so much easier to kill them if they didn't see her. She dropped to the ground with no sound and moved with lethal grace. The kind she reserved for missions. Silently, she made her way to the path one ninja was taking. She crouched down close to the ground as she laid in wait.

The ninja leaped over her hiding spot and immediately his throat was a bloody mess. Tenten had leaped up so fast that he never saw the glare of the knife, but he felt pain of death. She turned away from it, not wanting to watch it again. She had watched death thrive and suck the life out of creatures but she didn't need to watch it again if she didn't have to. Turning her back on the ninja she walked away. Her first mistake.

Instantly, a burn flamed between her shoulder blades. The blade of a kunai dug in her back so suddenly she dropped to the ground, on hands and knees, and almost vomited. Controlling her breathing she gritted her teeth and reached behind to pull it out. But another dug itself into the back of her thigh. She gritted her teeth more and pulled them both out in rapid succession. Without looking back at the almost dead ninja who threw them, she threw one back. The sound it made was silent but she knew she hit her target. For there was no more sound. Just silence.

Tenten's grip on the knife she held tightened. After that there was no way she was going easy on anyone of his friends. Movement hit her peripheral vision. In one smooth motion, she slid the kunai out of her hand and in the air. A grunt came from behind the tall trunk of the tree that lay on its side of the forest floor and the sound of someone falling to the ground descended on her ears. She walked to the trunk, gripped it, and lifted herself over to see if she hit where she wanted to. Laying on the ground was a nameless ninja with a kunai sticking out of his chest where his heart was.

Swallowing vomit, she let go of the trunk and landed back on the ground where the ninja didn't reside. Her leg throbbed in pain and protest but she ignored it. God, she needed to find a new occupation. The wound was deep and went almost all the way through. The blood ran down her back and joined with the blood on her leg in the most sickening manner she had ever felt. Her head swam from blood loss. The intense desire for shower over came her, but since she couldn't have one, she pushed the thought away.

"Escort the daimyo's daughter, make sure she's safe, don't split up, it's an easy mission, don't screw it up," Tenten complained, impersonating Lady Tsunade, walking to find her next target. She needed to save her strength so she didn't run. Her leg was in worst enough shape as it was.

The plan had went down the crap shooter. Firstly, after delivering the daimyo's daughter safely to her house in the city, they get ambushed close to home. Secondly, they, meaning Neji and Tenten, get split up. And thirdly, the ninja attacking them where higher level jonin and Tenten swore she saw an ANBU tattoo on one of them. Now, she and Neji had been split for the better part of at least two hours. God only knew where the hell those ninja had chased him.

She was starting to worry about him. Tenten suddenly became very aware of the ring she hid in her bra. The only time she took that ring off was on a mission. She didn't want to blood stains on her engagement ring. She touched it through her clothes as she walked, remembering the sweet times with Neji. Then she was brought back to reality the only way she could be. Her target had just appeared in front of her like a rabbit with a death wish. Dumbass.

"Hey," Tenten whispered. The ninja turned so swiftly she almost missed her target. Almost. The blue eyes she looked at widened in fear. Well, at least she didn't kill him with his back to her. She looked away from those eyes. They reminded her of Naruto's eyes, and Naruto reminded her of Lee. Lee, who was her friend and comrade. The ninja's knees hit the ground as Tenten jumped to branch above. Tenten put her hand in her pouch ready to pull out another knife when, to her surprise, she was out. She cursed under breath.

She didn't want to summon any weapons, that would attract too much attention. Attention that would be very bad for her, should she be caught. Yes, she could take these guys in a fair fight, she wasn't that weak, but it was much less damaging to her body if she hit their vital points with a knife from the shadows. It was sneaking, sly, but most importantly it was impersonal, professional and in the ninja world; merciful.

Tenten now hurried along the tree branches to find the last one and get this over with. Her chakra was low, dangerously so, and her body was reaching a physical limit that was telling her she needed to stop at once. And the worst part was no easily accessible weapons. Tenten slowed on a higher branch and dropped to a lower one so she could kill easier.

"3...2...1," she whispered to herself. At one her last target popped onto the branch beside her own. Without a second spared she leapt off her branch and landed on his. In front of him with her hands up, she moved seeing the gleam off his blade. Tenten didn't move quick enough as it struck above her heart. The cool knife slashed her flesh and pain rippled through her chest area. Blood made its way up her esophagus and choked her. She had no choice but to cough. The warm liquid dribbled down her chin and some sprayed through the air.

A sick smile came on her enemy's face as her blood landed on his face and ran down in little drops. Tenten's heart slammed faster against her chest, in fear. This was a killing machine, not a human ninja. She wanted to swallow but wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing she was afraid. Quickly, she snake up her hands to either side of his head. Before he had time to register what she was doing, she had snapped his neck in two. His hand let go of the knife as he fell off the branch and seemed to float to ground. His dead body made a sick crunch on the forest floor when he landed. Tenten pulled out the knife, forcing the pain to another part of her mind.

She sat near the trunk of the tree and pulled out her med kit. Quickly, she wrapped gauze around her thigh to stop the bleeding and ignored the one on her back and chest. She couldn't wrap those herself. The rest of her injuries were cuts, nicks, and scratches, it was like they wanted to tear her to ribbons instead of killing her quickly. Tenten knew she had to be careful with the blood loss she knew she had. But she had to find Neji. Tenten took one deep breath in and slowly exhaled it, stood and jumped from branch to branch following the way she had seen Neji go almost two and a half hours ago.

A half hour later, her leg felt like it weighed as much as one of Lee's weights. She had tried on Lee's weights, so she knew what she was talking about but right now was not the time to dwell on that. She had one goal in sight, finding Neji. She would accomplish that and get the hell back to village so she move her leg properly. Hell, so she could stand properly and not feel lightheaded from loss of blood. She tried to keep her heartbeat even as she looked, but saw no signs of Neji.

As she thought of her blood loss, the red liquid appeared right in front of her. Tenten tilted her head at it. A drop of crimson on the branch at her feet raced her heart. It wasn't her blood. Could it be Neji's? Yes, it could but she hoped not. As she moved farther in the direction of the blood, the forest trees had been demolished. They bore slashes from kunai or burn marks from jutsu. Tenten felt her stomach open up a hole and drop through to the bottom. _Let him be all right, please,_ she chanted. Several bodies littered the ground in various positions of the state of death. Tenten looked away. Maybe she was too soft hearted for this.

Now desperate, she moved quicker, wanting to find Neji safe and sound. As she came closer, the smell of hatred and death hit her hard. The rotting smell, the feeling of hopelessness, enveloped her as she entered another nameless part of the same forest she had been in for hours. Only this time, Neji was lying on the ground under a tree. Tenten did no more than spot his body before no time had passed and she was at his side.

His injuries were clear and all too ugly. Huge bruises marked his pale skin, while the blood pulling under his body make him take on a grayish tint. Tenten saw gash on his thigh that cut all the way to the bone, the shallower, but several, gashes on his chest now that his shirt had been shredded. His arm was bent at an impossible angle that one couldn't achieve had his bones been intact.

Tenten felt herself tremble at his side. His eyes were closed and Tenten slowly reached out to touch him. The skin was cool, not deathly cold. This gave her little hope however and her hammering heart did nothing to help her. Her sight was beginning to blur as she ran her hands over his body, ignoring the sticky liquid that attached itself to her hands. Tenten swallowed down vomit rising in her throat.

_No, this isn't happening. Somebody tell me this isn't happening!_ she screamed. An unforgiving picture of her mother's death flashed through Tenten's mind at Neji's body. She felt like she was reliving it, only with another loved one stationed at death's door. Tenten closed her eyes and tried to push out the horrifying image.

"Neji, open your eyes," she softly commanded, as her hand felt the faint pulse of his heart in his throat. Neji, however, didn't move. His hair, that was spread out over his head on the ground, gave him an almost angelic look.

"Neji, you have to look me," she said a little louder, with more of a demand, and slightly desperate. He could not be doing this to her! Her chest was feeling tight as Neji remained unconscious. Pain shot through her heart at his unresponsiveness. It felt like her heart was being cracked in two pieces. And though the pain was emotional, it felt entirely physical and all too real.

"Looks like you're too late," a deep voice interrupted her pain. It was behind her and she turned her head to find a masked ninja looking at her and Neji. Immediately, Tenten felt rage burst through every part of her body and she wanted nothing more than to tear this asshole apart limb from limb.

"Bastard," she whispered. The word cut sharper than any knife she could throw and was colder than other word she had uttered before. The word held her pure, unadulterated hatred for this unknown ninja.

He just laughed and strutted closer to her and Neji as if he had the right. Tenten felt bile rise in her throat at this man's presence and every cell in her body demanded that she use the last weapon she had to vanquish this monster. He stopped not a foot from her like she was his servant and he was a ruthless master. Her hatred intensified that much more, making red come into her line of vision.

"He's dying," the man stated, "You'll be joining him."

In no quicker than a second he took a katana that was strapped to his back and thrust it towards her in hopes of her death. Easily, she dodged it and pulled out the last weapon she possessed. A pistol. A new weapon for ninja, just released and even though the ninja countries had all agreed to not use them, she had bought one because of her love of weapons. She had bought it on the black market not two months earlier. The barrel was touching his forehead as he froze his movement, katana right beside her, tip buried in the ground, not an inch from Neji's arm.

"Traitor," he spat. She cocked it, glaring at him with every raw emotion she possessed.

"And no one will ever know," Tenten said and pulled the trigger. The resounding bang hurt her ears, and the kick back pained her hand but not as much as the sight of the man with the hole in his head and chunks of brain in the grass by his side. Her anger subsided instantly at the sight of his body. Tenten felt her eyes water even though she didn't regret killing the man. _Never again, _she thought. Blinking rapidly, she forced tears back, refusing to show compassion for the man. She put the gun back in her hip pouch.

Tenten grabbed the man by the legs and pulled him over to another tree, away from Neji. Once the body was a safe distance away, she reached into her hip pouch and pulled out a small pebble-like rock. With a frown on her face, Tenten flicked it on the dead body and it instantly ignited and went up in flames. Then, she turned her attention back to Neji and ran to him pulling out her med kit.

She wrapped him as best she could. His leg was first, then a splint for his arm, and bandages for his torso until she could transport him the best she could in this situation. His skin was growing colder and that had her hand trembling and shaking as she picked him up. She put one arm around his waist and put his left non-broken arm around her shoulders and hefted him up.

Tenten tried to be as gentle as possible, not knowing if he had any internal injuries. When she got out of this, she needed to remind herself to get medic lessons from Sakura or Hinata.

"Ten…ten," the throaty voice of Neji said. Astonished, this gave her renewed hope as she trudged along with an injured Neji.

"Hang on, Neji. Please, you have to hang on," Tenten begged. Emotional tears clouded her vision as she charted them home.

* * *

Tenten sat outside the operation room on one of the benches. She had been healed by a medic she didn't remember. She just wanted to see Neji. The journey back to Konoha seemed to take an eternity when it must have only taken about a little over an hour. She had run as best she could, knowing that if she didn't Neji wouldn't be long for this world. That was something she refused to let happen.

As soon as they had entered the gates, Neji was taken from her and rushed to the hospital, while she was questioned about what happened to him and then went to hospital herself. Now that she looked back everything blurred together. The only strong feeling she remembered was making sure Neji lived. Because the Neji she saw in the forest scared her. Tenten had never seen him so lifeless. It shook her to the bones and rocked her core.

Suddenly, someone stepped in front of her, cutting off her thoughts. Tenten looked up at Hinata's sad eyes. They looked just like Neji's, she realized. Unable to meet those eyes, she looked down to the white and blue tiled floor. Hinata put a comforting hand on her shoulder and sat beside her. But at the moment, Tenten didn't want to see Hinata. She needed her team. She wanted to see Lee and Gai and was actually surprised that she willingly wanted them with her.

"You should rest. You're a mess," Hinata softly spoke. Tenten knew she was right, that she looked horrible with blood stains, sweat stains, and a grim expression, but she wouldn't leave until that red light went off above the door and Neji was going to be fine.

"If it was Naruto, would you leave?" Tenten replied just as softly. Hinata didn't reply back and neither did Tenten expect her to. Tenten's mind flashed again, her mother and Neji both in a pool of their blood. All of a sudden, Tenten's eyes dripped tear after tear. She buried her head in her arms and felt Hinata wrap her arms around her. She accepted the comfort and cried on Hinata's shoulder.

Minutes later, when Tenten started to calm down she heard the ding of the light. Her gaze slammed to the sign that, a moment before, had been red and watched Tsunade and Sakura walk out, weary from chakra loss. Immediately, Tenten and Hinata stood as the medics filed out. Tsunade and Sakura staying behind to explain. Once the hall was clear, Tsunade's face slid into a grim smile. Tenten's hopes rose involuntarily.

"He's alive, barely," she told them. Tenten's face split into a smile and relief made her knees grow weak but she kept herself standing. At least for the moment.

"He'll be kept in ICU for a few days, but we expect a full recovery in about two to three weeks time," Sakura added. Relief melted more of Tenten's body parts as the words sunk in. Hinata smiled at her and Tsunade and Sakura.

She bowed, "I must go tell father." She excused herself and just as she disappeared around the corner, did Gai-sensei and Lee come barreling around the corner.

"How is he doing? Is he okay? Tenten, how are you?" Gai pummeled her questions and Lee jumped up and down as they ran toward her. She, in turn, ran to them and embraced them, tears of happiness wetting her cheeks as she smiled at them.

"He's all right. He's going to be fine," she managed as the two look-alikes hugged her back. A throat cleared and the three released each other to look at Tsunade and her apprentice.

"You can go see him, but he's asleep, so don't make too much noise," she told them. Sakura bowed her head and left with Tsunade following, leaving Team Gai to visit in privacy.

Tenten went first and opened the ICU doors, hearing Lee and Gai following her. Neji was in the middle of the white room with curtains drawn on the side with an off white color. The blankets that covered him were white and made him look washed out. Purple circles were visible under his eyes and his cheeks seemed to have sunken in a bit, but he had not one drop of blood on his body.

"He looks better," Tenten commented, a little smile forming. Even though he looked horrible, it was so much better than what it was.

"If this is 'better', I would hate to see what he looked like before," Lee responded, a fierce grimace on his face. Tenten wiped away the last of her tears with the back of her hand.

"You would have hated it, Lee. I did, too," she said sadly. Never again did she want to see Neji's grayish skin with blood coloring his clothes and hair like an angel of death. Gai put his hands on each of their shoulders.

"Tenten, I'm sorry you had to endure such a sight. But thank you for his safe return," Gai said with uncharacteristic seriousness. Tenten put a hand over top of her sensei's and looked at Neji, marveling the up and down movement of his chest with each breath he took.

* * *

Never had Neji felt so horrible in his life. He was surrounded in darkness with no sense to hold him anywhere. He just seemed to float. Pain slashed at every body part as Neji lay suspended in darkness. The ache in his arms and legs growing as he became more aware of his body. He kept his eyes closed to try and block out the feeling of his entire body feeling like it got crushed but it didn't work.

His head decided at that moment to throb and he groan. It was barely audible but in that second it grounded him. The darkness lifted and he felt his body laying on a firm but soft board. When he moved his hand, he felt cotton underneath his finger tips and realized that he lay in a bed. But it wasn't his bed by any means and the disinfectant smell made him certain that he was in the hospital.

Hospital? What was he doing in the hospital? The last thing he remembered was Tenten's voice. He was dreaming of her again. She was laying on top of him, nails digging into his skin painfully, holding him for dear life whispering something in his ear. _Hang on_. That's it. She was telling him to hang on. Why?

Neji further searched his memory, but found nothing but the sizzle of pain. And a ninja's face. It was masked and had no symbol of what nation he belonged to. He remembered now, the fight that sent him to the clutch of desperation. After fighting so many jonin and chunin ninja, his chakra had been low, dangerously so. It was only by a stroke of luck that he managed to say alive while fighting off what could have an ANBU ninja.

He slowly lifted his eyelids, knowing that there'd be a bright light waiting to blind him, like the hospital always did. However, it wasn't there. All the lights were shut off and pale white moonlight shone through the slightly open curtains. Neji followed the moonlight from the curtain to a lump that was on one side of his bed. The dark brown hair looked almost black with pale shiny highlights where the moonlight hit it just right.

The chocolate eyes that Neji knew were there, were closed in slumber. The face he knew and loved so much was cast in a glow that made the object of his affections seem like a goddess. She was slumped over the bed, her head resting in her hands while the lower part of her was seated on a chair next to the bed he lay in. Neji smiled, grateful no one was around, and lifted his hand. Pain shot down his arm to his finger tips making the hand shake, but he didn't stop until his hand rested on her head.

He smoothed her hair back. The panda buns, as Lee always put it, had fallen out and her hair curtained her face from his gaze. He hooked it behind her ear and she made a soft sound. Neji froze, fingers entwined with her hair as she shifted closer to him, subconsciously. Neji found himself comforted by that small, accidental movement and shifted his body closer to hers. Once the pain subsided, because he had moved again, he drew his hand to her hand. Gently putting his over hers, he tangled their fingers together, then gave into his body's desire to sleep and let the darkness take him again.

* * *

Upon gaining consciousness again, Tenten realized two things. One, her arms were numb and the tingling feeling was slightly annoying. And two, she had a pillow. But it was unlike any pillow she had ever slept on. It was warm and hard at the same time, but very comfortable. When she finally raised her tired eyes, it was to see Neji's lap. Quickly, she sat up as if a whip had been cracked. Her numb arms tingled as if she was being poked with needles but she ignored that.

Her head was in Neji's lap. Her head. And Neji's lap. Her face felt as if it was on fire, more so when she looked at his face. Even though he was still asleep, Tenten looked back down at her lap, embarrassed. It reminded her of the first time they kissed. It had been so hot but so pleasurable that the memory added more color to her face. They had not been more physical than kisses, even though they were engaged, so her head in his lap was increasing her heart rate.

_God, he's not even conscious and he does this to me,_ Tenten thought. She felt something soft on her arm and thinking it was a spider she looked down and brushed it quickly. But it was only her hair. Sighing, she took the hair tie off her wrist and pulled the hair to the nape of her neck. Tying it back securely, she took another look at Neji. His color was taking on a more flesh like look now, but he remained asleep. There was no movement in any part of his body, but he was touching her, she just realized.

Tenten's right hand was laying on white sheets with Neji's paler hand over top her tanner one. His fingers were in between her own and curled around her hand so his finger tips touched her palm. Tenten sighed in contentment and put her left elbow on the bed to watch him sleep. There was a crack in the room and Tenten realized that her back was sore from sleeping the way she did. She scoffed at her body's damn limitations and pains. Her wounds had been completely healed by an intern medic who was still new so she healed the whole wound.

Tenten tried not to move her hand so much so she could still keep it connected with Neji's and laid her head beside his thigh. She loved looking at him and was so relieved that he still drew a breath. Her lips curled into a smile as she watched him in his most vulnerable. He looked like a little child, she realized. The harshness of his eyes went away and his face relaxed with sleep making him have the appearance of a small child.

"Don't ever do that again, Neji. You scared me half to death," she quietly whispered. Moving her body slowly she gently caressed his cheek. When that wasn't enough she went to his hair and skimmed her fingers over it. Suddenly the door to his room opened.

Gai-sensei stood in the doorway, taking all the space it provided. Tenten retracted her hand immediately and gave her attention to her sensei. He walked in and shut the door behind him, then proceeded over to the bedside. He looked down at Neji tenderly and Tenten looked down at him, too. Then she felt his hand on her shoulder.

"It's been two days, Tenten. You need to go home and get some rest. Neji will still be here when you come back," he said. His voice was low as to not wake Neji. She smiled sadly.

"I know, but I just don't want to leave," Tenten told him, not taking her eyes off Neji. Gai smiled at his pupil.

"He won't be going anywhere, I promise," Gai urged her. She sighed and damned her sensible side.

"I'll leave tonight, okay?" she said to placate him. He nodded and pulled a chair his way to sit on it. He didn't flash his perfect teeth or give her the thumbs up, but he did sit with her. Suddenly, he turned his head to the side while watching Neji. "What?" she asked, wondering if something was wrong with Neji and she didn't catch it. Her heart went to her throat.

"It's amazing," he remarked. Now she was really confused.

"What's amazing?" Tenten wondered. Gai put a hand to his chin.

"He looks just like a little kid," Gai said casually and with a thoughtful expression. Tenten immediately started to laugh. And she laughed so hard her stomach hurt and when it did Gai-sensei started to laugh with her.

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_-Eleven days later-_

Tenten lay in the grass. The night sky was lit up so beautify with all the stars, she was captivated. The grass was a little wet but it was a small price to pay for the beautiful sky she was viewing. One of her hands was behind her head while the other fingered the gun that lay beside her. The same gun she used to kill the masked ninja almost two weeks ago.

The sound of rushing water soothed her restlessness, her irritation. No one would let her back in the hospital saying that Neji was physically recuperating with some special nurse and that she shouldn't see him. That was ten days ago. Ten days of not being able to sit in one spot, ten days of pacing in her room, ten days of demanding she see him and getting refused. Bastards. Tenten breathed in deep to calm herself. The only visitor she knew he had was his immediate family.

Absentmindedly she dipped her bare feet in the cold water. It was icy but that anchored her to earth so her mind didn't go off wandering while she lay on the ground. Again she stroked the gun, and every time she saw his dead eyes and the hole in his forehead. It made her want to cry, almost. It was how he died that saddened her. Maybe he had a family, friends, and she just took it out while looking into his eyes and his loved ones will never know what she did.

That kind of anonymous death always cut deep in her heart. It was like the person who died was nothing, was no one and it was gut wrenching. Tenten's stomach rolled at the memory. She frowned up at the sky, up at the heavens, and she couldn't help but think about her mother. What would she say if she saw what her daughter had done. Probably turn away in disgust and deny ever giving birth to her. Ha, her mother always was soft hearted. That was probably a contributing factor in her death. The one she wished she could forget.

Tenten wrapped her fingers around the gun and the cold steel blended with her hand, sending a shiver down her spine. She raised the gun above her head, studying it. It was black, small, cold, and deadly. Amazing something like this could kill someone. It was the size of her hand and she used it to avenge Neji. No not avenge, Neji wasn't dead. She got even with that bastard and felt sick satisfaction when she did. And that satisfaction was eating her up inside, making her feel guilty.

"You always did have guilty conscious," a male voice said from behind her. Tenten knew that voice immediately, intimately. She sat up in a hurry and twisted her top half to look at him.

"You shouldn't be walking around. What are you even doing outside the hospital?" Tenten scolded, glaring. Before she could get up and help him, Neji limped over and sat beside her. His chest was all but bare save for medical gauze that adorned his lower abdomen and crossed over his shoulder. His one arm was wrapped in such way that reminded her of Lee's arms. His pants were loose and baggy but you could still see the limp.

His face was bright and soft in the moonlight. He looked heavenly as the light from the moon caressed his angled cheekbones, high brow, and soft lips. Lips she loved. His eyes were alive as he took in her small tank top and cut off pants that hit her above the knee. Neji smiled at her, a smile only she saw, and Tenten's insides just seemed to melt. They felt warm and gooey and her lips automatically lifted in response.

"The hospital smells," Neji told her. He was tired of the damn hospital. They wouldn't let him do anything unless it was physical therapy for his leg and arm. No one saw him, except for his family but they only visited a few times, and that wouldn't have bugged him so much, but they didn't let him see Tenten. So, finally getting tired of not seeing her for over a week, after all the lights went out, Neji jumped out of his window feeling like a fifteen year old sneaking out to see his girlfriend. It didn't take long to find her with his eyes and when he silently approached she was wallowing in self pity.

"The hospital will help you heal," Tenten said as she scooted closer, inspecting his body for injury. Neji instinctively put an arm around her shoulders as Tenten smoothed her fingers over his chest.

Gently Neji took her arm and pulled it off his body. The reason being the heat that now burned his entire being. She did that with just her hand and Neji shuddered at the thought of what she could do with more than just her hands. Though Neji liked the idea, he didn't like it being outside on the ground. He wanted a bed for what he had in mind.

"Tenten, the hospital can't do anything for me anymore," Neji said. Tenten still looked worried. So, Neji decided it was time the subject change. "You can't keep beating yourself up over this."

Tenten looked away and turned her gaze to the gun in her lap. She palmed its weight and then began to disassemble it. Neji looked at her with his eyebrows raised.

"I practically killed him in cold blood," she whispered. Neji tightened his hold on her shoulders and said nothing, as he knew nothing would make her feel better. They sat by the water's edge in silence while she looked at the different pieces of the pistol in her lap.

"Would you have done anything different, if you could?" Neji quietly asked. She looked at him, her brown eyes slightly watery, but she didn't cry. Neji's arm dropped to hold her about the waist.

"No, I wouldn't. And that's what scares me," she said. The ninja's lifeless eyes flashed through her mind again. Then the burning of the body imprinted on her conscious and she knew it was something that she would never forget. Neji leaned his head down so it rested on her shoulder, hoping to give her some comfort.

"Tenten, he would have killed you. We both would've been dead and he would go on to kill others and destroy their lives," Neji tried to ease the guilt. Tenten was nice, even to her enemies. She killed them, yes, but she mourned their loss. It was something he found attractive in Tenten.

"I feel like I killed him like a tool, a machine," Tenten confessed. "Like I wasn't human."

"You killed him in rage, Tenten. That's a human emotion," he told her. She lay her head on his and sighed. Tenten picked up one of the three pieces of the pistol and threw it into the river. Neji lifted his head and in turn made her lift hers.

Though he looked at her with a question, she ignored it. One more piece of the pistol went into the river, closely followed by the last one. The black river swallowed the pistol and she felt the burden that had crushed her chest now being lifted. It was a relief. She faced Neji and saw the question in eyes. Tenten put a hand on his chest moving it up to his shoulder.

"I never want to kill like that again," she explained. Neji smiled at her. She smiled back, her gazed going to his lips. Butterflies hit her stomach and she brought her face closer to his. Neji responded by closing the space between their lips and sending her nerves into a frenzy. She felt connected with him and moved her hand down from his shoulders, to draw circles on his chest.

Neji's hands kept themselves at her waist. He pulled back but she took his lips again, not able to get enough. Tenten pressed herself further against Neji wrapped her arms around his neck. She never wanted to let go of him. It was so stimulating to have him here, to touch him, feel him. Tenten was pulled out of her fog as Neji's warm tongue danced acrossed her bottom lip. Surprised, her mouth opened. His tongue slowly entered her mouth, almost like he was nervous.

To reassure him, Tenten touch his tongue with her own and felt her stomach drop out. It was like there was an empty space where stomach should be that was now filled with nervousness. Neji tangled his tongue around hers and explored her mouth. Tenten pushed back and, when he finally let her, explored his mouth. It was sweet and intoxicating. Something she never tasted before but didn't want to give up. He pulled back and placed his forehead on hers.

"Tenten," he groaned. Tenten responded by having her lips ghost acrossed his in a sweet kiss. She tightened her hold around his neck, afraid that he would pull back when she wanted this contact. She wanted to connect with him and felt the connection as they touched. Tenten was afraid that if the contact broke, then so would connection.

Neji's eyes stayed closed as he tried to ring in his body's reaction. He was heating up and close to panting. There was nothing he wanted more than this. This connection with Tenten that was physical as well as emotionally. His hand drifted from her waist to her back and pushed her closer. He heard her intake of a sharp breath and smiled. His lips found her cheek and planted kisses on her cheekbone. Tenten squirmed where she sat.

He pulled back to look at her face. It was flushed a bright pink and her breathing grew heavy. Neji closed his eyes and put his forehead to hers again. _Don't do it. Don't do it. _His body was asking, no demanding, that he make Tenten his. But his mind refused to comply. He felt himself shake and hoped she didn't notice.

"Neji, you're trembling," Tenten softly whispered. Neji's hands fisted in her shirt at her back and waist. She wasn't making this easy for him. She was killing him. His body tightened and just like that he pushed her to her back and laid out on top her. One hand beside her head on the ground so he didn't crush her. Her chest rose and fell rapidly and he wondered if she was nervous. Well, he was too, but he just had to do something about this need in his lower body. And he knew Tenten could ease it.

"You're still recovering," Tenten told him. She grabbed his biceps on his arm to halt him. He stopped. He felt himself tremble with the need to be inside her. To claim her as his and no one else's.

"Tenten, I can't control myself. If you don't want this, leave, because I can't stop now," he voice was rough with wanting, longing even. Neji bit the inside of his mouth to keep it from attacking her collar bone that was exposed.

Tenten grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled down so she could brush their lips again. She didn't want the contact to end. She wanted to stay like this, forever if she could. She didn't want to leave, but her mind was not so fogged up that she forgot that he was still hurt. She ran her hand over the bandages and felt him tense up the abdominal muscles the wound laid on.

"Neji, you're hurt," she protested, trying to get up. But she squirmed against him and he felt himself crack. His mouth latched onto her throat. He inhaled and felt her scent all around him, intoxicating him, pushing him further. He explored behind her ears, hearing her soft gasps and moans, then worked his way down.

"I'm healthy enough for this," he told her, his mouth at the base of her throat. Tenten pulled in a shaky breath and moaned slightly as she felt his teeth. Neji's hand when for her shirt. He tried to undo the buttons but his hand shook with nervousness as he thought about what he was going to do. He gritted his teeth and tried to unbutton the button again, but again his hand trembled too much.

Tenten saw his hand tremble at her buttons and decided to help. She took his hand in both of hers and put his hand to her top button again. She helped him slide the button through its hole. They undid the rest of her buttons like that, together, while looking one another straight in the eye. Tenten was being held captive by the light eyes that seemed to glow in the dark. Neji was under the same effect of her eyes, mesmerized by the chocolate depths.

However, without her help, Neji slid the shirt open to reveal her round breasts in a simple white bra. The shirt slid off her shoulders and onto the damp ground. All of a sudden Neji felt disgusted with himself for doing this here. Out in the open, on a damp grassy floor, when he wanted her to a nice soft bed and no one around to walk in on them accidentally. Neji raised himself from between her leg. Wait, when did he get in between her legs?

"Neji?" Tenten's voice quivered, from cold or excitement, he didn't know. She reached for him and tried to bring him back down on top of her but he just took her hand and threaded his fingers through hers.

"Not here, Tenten, let's go to somewhere else. I don't want to do this to you on the grass," he told her. Neji made to move up but Tenten hurriedly grabbed him. Almost as if she was afraid he'd leave her. She pulled him back down on her, crushing their chests together before he could do anything about it. He felt their hearts beat. Not together but opposite each other. His would beat and then hers would. It was almost like they were…answering one another.

"No, Neji. Let's do this here," she whispered to him as her arms clung to his shoulders and her legs wrapped around his waist. He tried to get out of her hold, but she was a ninja and physically strong for a woman. He could do nothing but look at her.

"Tenten…," he started. She quieted him with a kiss on his lips, then his jaw. His breathing moved faster. Her fingers dug into his back.

"Right here, Neji. Under the stars," she said, looking up at him. And Neji could indeed see the stars from the sky reflected in her eyes. And she could Neji's face, with the background of only stars in the sky.

Neji felt something pull at his heart, making it beat a little faster than what it already was. Tenten smiled up at him, one of the genuine happy smiles that he had seen not often enough. Neji claimed her lips and rocked into her. She groaned and rocked back, feeling a wonderful filling sensation. Neji trailed kissed from her jaw to her collar bone and dared to go lower. Lightly kissing the tips of her cleavage, Tenten moan and pushed her chest forward out of instinct. Her legs felt like jelly and unwrapped themselves and dropped to the ground.

Neji brought his hands to the bra straps and pulled them down slowly, revealing her tan shoulders. Then far enough so the cups of the bra revealed creamy smooth breasts with rosy nipples perked and ready for him. He lightly traced a finger around her nipple and she couldn't hold back a groan at the feel of his finger. She felt that nipple tighten almost painfully and she didn't know what he could do to ease it but she wanted him to do something. However, Neji just traced the nipple as lightly as the first and she groaned again.

Tenten felt restless as his hand cupped her breast and played with the nipple. He rolled it in between his fingers and felt a pull in her lower region. She bent her knees and arched her back as Neji, who had gotten done exploring her breast with his hands, put his mouth right over a nipple. Tenten cried out and rocked her pelvis against Neji's feeling something hard under his pants. It took a little bit for her to realize it was his hard on. Tenten stomach rolled in nervousness again as Neji slowly moved to the other nipple and teased it with his mouth.

She cried out again and rocked into him again, not knowing what she was seeking but seeking something. His hand trailed her waist and built a heat wherever he touched. His fingers found her pants and without trembling, noticeably, Neji pulled them down to her knees. Tenten, being too hot as it was, kicked them off the rest of the way. Neji put his hand on her hip, then eased it down the side of her thigh and back up again. Tenten panted, her hand grabbing a fistful of grass.

Neji ghosted his fingers over her inner thigh and she moaned again. Out of instinct Tenten took the hand that wasn't destroying the grass and trailed it down his chest. She felt his pec and slight chest hair. She followed the chest hair down to his wrapped wounds when he stopped caressing her thigh. His abdominals were tense and she drew little circles around wounds as if that would make them feel better. Her hand went lower to the waist line of his pants but she avoided the growing appendage between this thighs and rubbed his leg.

She heard Neji groan and rock toward her hand, but she was too nervous to touch his hard on. She switched her hand to his other thigh and rubbed in circles where his leg met hip. Neji groaned even harder and gripped Tenten's thigh. She gasped out loud and Neji glided his hand up to her panty line. Before his lost his nerve, Neji pulled them down and off her body. Tenten lay on her back exposed to him and bathed only in moonlight. His breath left his body of its own accord. Tenten reached for his pants. He saw her hand shake and she pulled them down off his body. He wore no underwear under the pants so his member was freed and he lay on top her, naked as well.

Tenten breathed in hard, no knowing that he wore nothing under his sweat pants. She felt the heat of his organ on her lower stomach. The feeling pulled to her lower region and she felt wet. She felt strange, almost not whole anymore. Neji snaked his hand from her neck down to her breasts, fondled them, went to her stomach, and around to the back of her thigh. Neji lifted it up and swallowed at Tenten being exposed for him. He gritted his teeth and his hand found her center. She was wet but that only turned him on more. To the point where his hard on throbbed and became painful.

Neji took his member and found the slit in Tenten's opening. He rubbed himself there, getting the feel of her and growing more hard. He wanted nothing more the slam into her soft flesh but didn't want to take it fast. He savored the feeling of his tip inside her while he rubbed and she spread her legs wider, trying to accommodate more of him. Neji slowly eased inside and felt her walls squeeze him hard. Tenten cried out when he was in far enough to hit her barrier.

Neji, scared he hurt her, began to pull out. Tenten's hand found Neji's ass and held him inside her. She panted with new sensation. Before where she felt incomplete was now the past as the feeling of Neji inside her filled her up, to the point where she wanted to scream it to the world. She rolled her hips and they both groaned from the feelings the action invoked.

"Keep going, Neji," Tenten requested. Neji hesitated, looking at Tenten's flushed face.

"Tenten…," he said, not know what to say. But he didn't want to do this if it would hurt her. Hurting her was the last thing he wanted from this.

"It's okay, Neji. It'll be fine," she whispered in his ear. She lightly pressed a kiss to his cheek. Tenten told her legs and wrapped them around Neji's waist once again. She squirmed under him, hoping he'd get the hint.

He did. Neji eased again into her and this time broke the barrier. She gasped out and locked her legs at the base of his spine. The discomfort and pain was there but Neji soon began to move. He pulled out and eased back in. Tenten's walls tightened on him every time he did so. At first he was slowly ravishing her, then as the need built up in both of them they urged the other faster. Neji slammed into her and she met his thrusts.

Tenten felt herself climbing up to somewhere and the more she wanted it the more she thrust with Neji. The faster and harder he pounded brought them both closer and closer to some unknown height. Closer to euphoria, closer to heaven. Tenten felt all her muscles involuntarily and her walls squeezed Neji's member hard. Tenten's body shook with release as she exploded into a haven of pleasure, fulfillment.

Neji felt Tenten tighten around him and this activated his own release. He soared up to the sky in this new sensation, heartbeat in his ears as his seed was released inside Tenten. She went limp and a second later he did too. They were worn out and sweaty, but they clung to each other. Neji made to move but Tenten held him fast. She didn't want him to pull out of her just yet. She was too content, felt to cherished, to have Neji move.

So the pair lay on the damp grass, breathing each other's air, panting and sweaty. Under the stars, they were joined in the most primal and beautiful way possible. And they fell asleep like that, in each other's arms, ready to face the repercussions of this night, but face it together.

* * *

**A/N: That took a while. But I like it. Now you've done one R for me. How about the other R?**


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